Ross Vasta (Bonner, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the acting Prime Minister. Will the Acting Prime Minister update the House on Australia's military engagement in Iraq?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for his question. It is of course right that Australia should make a prudent and proportionate contribution to what is essentially a humanitarian operation to protect the people of Iraq by combating ISIL and by endeavouring to restore law and order to Iraq.

It is not a decision that the government has taken lightly. Ultimately, it is Iraq that must defeat ISIL. But it cannot be left to confront this horrendous situation alone. Australia is reluctant to reach out to conflicts thousands of miles away, but this conflict has reached out to us. This has been a conflict which is engaging Western nations because of the actions and the barbarity of ISIL. For instance, their latest statement, calling on supporters to target civilians of Western nations wherever they can be found, and their revolting boast about enslaving Yazidi women.

Since 6 October, Australian aircraft have been conducting combat missions against ISIL targets in Iraq. These aircraft have been flying quite long missions to achieve the time that they need over the ground in Iraq. The FA18 fighters have flown more than 40 sorties. The air-to-air refueler—the KC 30A—has flown 13 air-to-air missions and provided over a million pounds of fuel to coalition aircraft. On 8 October, our FA18s struck an ISIL facility, which through subsequent battle damage assessment was confirmed to be destroyed. A number of ISIL members were killed in the attack. Two pairs of FA-18 fighters attacked ISIL military equipment and facilities in northern Iraq using their 500-pound bombs on 14 October. Defence has provided advice that those attacks were also successful.

We have reached an agreement with Iraq on the legal framework for our special forces to be deployed to assist and advise the Iraqi security forces. Defence are now working through the necessary arrangements to enable that deployment to take place. Our Defence personnel are engaged in a difficult and dangerous task but it is an important one for the security of our nation and of others. And our thoughts and prayers are certainly with them on this mission.